The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has announced that Coles has achieved the first Green Star rating for a supermarket.

Coles Hallam, designed by Michael Carr Architect in south east Melbourne was awarded a 4 Star Green Star rating.

Key achievements at Coles Hallam include 50 per cent more fresh air compared to minimum standards, through high-performance heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems;

There's a 15 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions with highly-efficient chillers and heat reclaimed from refrigeration cases used to supply heating to other parts of the supermarket.

The LED lighting installed throughout is reducing energy consumption and internal heating loads.

The GBCA praised the whopping 70 per cent reduction in water consumption compared to traditional supermarkets, with the use of water-efficient fixtures and fittings, and 150,000-litre capacity water tanks.

Coles Hallam is also the first supermarket in Australia to undergo a Life Cycle Assessment, allowing Coles to make comparisons between different materials and products to select healthy, efficient and sustainable options.

GBCA’s Chief Executive Officer, Romilly Madew observes that Coles, in their determination to develop a ‘supermarket of the future’, has set a new benchmark for sustainable supermarket design in Australia. Coles now has a framework for sustainable supermarkets that are not only more efficient and cost effective to run, but are also more comfortable places in which to work and shop.

Coles began working with the GBCA in 2009 to develop a Green Star rating tool that could assess the sustainability of supermarkets. Coles intended to develop a model store with sustainable strategies and technologies that could be integrated into construction and refurbishment projects.

Coles is the first Australian supermarket to develop a Green Star rating tool to support its sustainability initiatives. Coles Property General Manager Sam Pinchbeck says the Green Star rating tool has already been used to guide the design and construction of their Hallam supermarket.

Madew adds that GBCA has compelling international research, which confirms green retail buildings featuring good natural light and ventilation, high-performance heating and cooling systems, and materials low in harmful chemicals, are not only more efficient and cheaper to operate, but can also improve the experience for customers and return on investment for owners.